The Heist
by ubi sunt
Summary: It wasn't everyday you ran into your future self. Then again it wasn't everyday your future self asked you to assist in robbing the Vongolas, Chiavrones, and the Varia at the same time." "Also," she said with a sneer, "Tsuna marries Kyoko without telling you so I need you to get over him before we rob him."
1. That Gal From The Future

**Prologue **

_That Gal From The Future _

**—**

**...**

**—**

One Sunday morning, Haru received an email that's subject line read: "Delete after you've read it."

Curious, she opened the email and read further: "Act calm as to not alert anyone, and meet me at the spot where you first fell in love. You know the place."

The place where she first fell in love? She smiled. That was exactly after Tsuna saved her. Her heart fluttered in chest. She hadn't seen much of him after he officially took the title of Boss of the Vongolas. Maybe he was finally,_ finally_ asking her out?

A small shriek of excitement of escaped her lips before she leapt to her feet, and mad dashed out of her house to the bridge where she nearly drowned. She was clad in nothing but plaid pyjamas and neon green alligator slippers, but she still ran at full speed despite the looks she received. However, she stopped dead in her tracks when leaning against the bridge and staring out at the water was not her beloved Tsuna, but a woman smoking.

Haru hesitantly approached the bridge and stood opposite from the woman, she too staring at the water. She that woman couldn't have been the one to email her. She twisted around and examined her for a second. The woman wore large oversized dark shades, a floppy black hat, and an simple black dress paired off with heeled thigh-high black boots. Everything about her screamed elegance and old money.

_Maybe Tsuna's late,_ Haru thought turning back around and staring dreamily at the waters. She was picturing the scenario of Tsuna running in and cliché-ly asking her if he was late before finally confessing his undying love to her when she felt two taps on her shoulder.

It was the woman. "Took you long enough."

"Excuse me?"

The woman took a long drag of her cigarette, then she dropped it and stepped on it. "Tsuna's not coming."

"How do you kno—?" Haru's words died in her mouth as the woman removed her shades. Haru was staring right into the eyes of, well,_ herself_. That is, if she aged ten years.

"Yeah, yeah," the woman said, visibly irritated, "I'm you. Get over it. You've seen the Ten Year Bazooka, this shouldn't be a shock."

Haru frowned. "But if you're here, then shouldn't Haru, well, _not_?"

"Oh my God, you still do that?" Future Haru pinched the bridge of her nose. "OK, whatever. Look, kid I need your help."

"Anything for Haru!"

"OK, that needs to stop."

"Hahi? What needs to stop, desu?"

"Oh my God. Stop._ Please._"

Haru pouted. "So rude! What do you need help with, anyway?"

"We're going to rob the Vongolas, Chiavrones, and Varia," she said. "All three of them. At the same time."

_"What?!"_

"Also," she said with a sneer, "Tsuna marries Kyoko without telling you so I need you to get over him before we rob him."

_"What?!" _

"You scream a lot," future Haru noted with a tired sigh. "Look, I ran into some trouble and I just need 150 trillion dollars."

"How do you just _need_ 150_ trillion_ dollars?!" Haru shrieked. "That makes absolutely no sense! What did you do?"

Future Haru scratched the back of her head, looking away. "Um. Er. Well, that's not really important. Not right now."

"Not important? Do you know the sheer amount of money you're trying to steal—why are you trying to take it from them of all people?"

"Well, they happen to have it, and I don't particularly feel guilty robbing them."

Haru stared at her, mouth agape. "Haru's not helping you, they're Haru friends! You're crazy!"

"_Friends?_" She spat. "How are the Varia your friends? They're killers. And the Chivarone? I doubt its heir even knows your name. And the Vongolas? Let's be real, Kyoko is your only friend out of all them, and even_ she_ drops you when she gets hitched with Tsuna. I mean literally everyone but_ you_ was invited to the wedding. They aren't your friends. They stopped being your friends years ago."

"Y-you're lying to Haru!"

She put back on her sunglasses. "Why would I lie to myself?"

"B-because you aren't Haru! Haru wouldn't act like this! H-haru is too...too..."

"Too what? You and I both know you'd act exactly like this," she said. "That _'Hahi, I'm Haru, desu!'_ is bullshit and we both know it. We wouldn't have gotten into the most ruthless and elite middle school, high school, and university if we actually were that."

Haru paled. She was right.

"You have two days to accept my offer," she said said, turning a heel. "Comeback here when you're ready."

"W-wait!" Haru cried to the retreating woman. "What did you do to need that money?"

Future Haru lazily lifted her hand in half-hearted attempt to wave goodbye. "Help me, and I'll tell you everything!"

**—**

**...**

**—**

A day later and Haru was_ still_ enraged over what her future self told her. She sat alone in her room contemplating everything she was told. Who the hell did she think she was, anyway? Well, she was Haru, but still! How dare she ask herself to do something as ridiculous as that! Rob her friends? As if Haru would do something like that!

She punched her plush pillow angrily, then after a moment hugged it in apology.

"Why was Haru so angry?" she wondered aloud. She didn't understand how she could have changed so dramatically like that. She even took up something as dangerous and disgusting as smoking for Goodness' sake! Only idiots like Gokudera smoked!

Walking towards her window, she opened it and let the cool evening air enter her room. Her eyes instinctively flickered to Tsuna's house. Her heart sank as she saw everyone—literally_ everyone_, even that Irie guy was down there!—all gathered in Tsuna's front lawn participating in what looked like a barbecue.

Her eyes scanned the crowd of people until it landed on a laughing Tsuna. He was back home from Italy, which meant they were probably throwing a welcome back party for him.

Haru's first thought was: _Who throws a barbecue on your front lawn? Especially when your backyard was bigger? _

Haru's second thought was what her future self had told her.

She frowned. "They _are_ Haru's friends!"

And to prove her point, she went straight to Tsuna's house. They would obviously have a logical explanation as to why they didn't invite her over.

_They were probably going to invite me right now,_ she thought as she opened the front gates of the Sawada household._ Or maybe my invitation got lost in the mail. _

"Haru-chan!" Nana greeted her with a smile. "I was wondering where you were!"

Haru beamed back at the woman. _See? _

"I was beginning to think Tsuna forgot to invite you, I had him go and tell all his little friends to come join us yesterday," Nana said. "Well, come on and eat something. Kyoko and I prepared a lot!"

"A-actually Nana-san I just remembered I have something to do," she said weakly. "It was nice seeing you, though. Tell Tsuna I said welcome back."

_"They aren't your friends." _

**—**

**...**

**—**

"Hey, Nana-san was that Haru?" Yamamoto said, watching her run back into her house. "What's happened?"

"I'm not too sure, Yamamoto-kun," Nana sighed. "She said something came up. What a shame, too. I prepared some of her favourites."

"You could always wrap it up and give to her after the party," Yamamoto suggested.

"What a great idea! I'm sure Haru-chan would like that a lot!"

But when Nana sent Tsuna to deliver the food to Haru, he returned telling her no one was home.

**... **

Two days left.

**...**

Haru Appreciation Day couldn't have come any sooner.

Throwing on her favourite outfit, Haru left her house and met up with Kyoko at their favourite cake shop. There was a new flavour this month, a black forrest cake. She ordered it while Kyoko decided on a chocolate lava cake.

As they walked back to Haru's place to eat the cakes, Haru couldn't help but think about what her future self told her—_again_. She frowned. She needed to get that stupid woman's words out of her head. Kyoko would never, ever do that to her. She thought of the girl as her own sister after all they've been through.

"Hey, Haru?"

"Mhm?"

"What would you..." Kyoko trailed off, finding her words. "What would you say if Tsuna and I began dating?"

Haru's stopped dead in her tracks. "How long?"

Kyoko slowed to a stop. "Huh?"

"How long have you guys been dating?"

"A little over a month now. I was going to tell you, but Tsuna said we should wait and have the both of us tell you. But he's just been so busy and I was_—_"

"Kyoko?"

"Yeah?"

"If you were to get married, you'd invite me to the wedding, right?"

Kyoko smiled. "Of course! You'd be my bridesmaid!"

Haru didn't like the way Kyoko smiled at her. It looked...fake.

_"Also Tsuna marries Kyoko without telling you so I need you to get over him robbing him right now." _

**...**

One day left.

**...**

Her feet regrettably dragged her to the wretched spot. Her future self stood there watching her with a haughty smirk on her face. She wanted to wipe that smirk off of her face with a nice slap to the face to be honest. It didn't even matter that she was talking about herself.

"Before you even say anything," Haru said, "Haru's only here for an explanation."

She laughed. "We both know that's bullshit."


	2. Drunk in Love

After a miserable and slightly disturbing week brought on by her future self—er, _M _got her a dress (to avoid confusion, her future self told her to call her M from now on), and Haru really couldn't say no to the free dress and free food her past self promised when she suddenly turned up at her door one night. She was just so upset at Tsuna, Kyoko, and most importantly herself. She was also trying to make sense of all the disturbing information M told her.

Apparently after a bad mission, M found herself indebted to a very powerful, very scary mafia family. They gave her one year to pay them off, or she would be executed. This family disturbingly enough was specialized in time travel ("Like those Milliefiore guys," she explained, "But way, way, waaay worse!") and would kill Haru in all and every timeline she found herself in. However, as luck would have it after a few adjustments to Lambo's Ten Year Bazooka, she was able to go into the past without having either herself or Haru go into that bad timeline.

Honestly, if going to a club made Haru momentarily forget about this mess, she was down. She just wanted to forget it all. Which was probably why she didn't really care about the details. All week she missed important details that would raise questions her future self probably wouldn't have answered. M probably counted on this.

So Haru agreed to go to the alleged all ages club that actually wasn't an all ages club (on a night where her father worked late at the university, too), she got all dressed up and looked much older than fifteen, she missed M flashing a fake ID of her that stated she was twenty, and after grabbing some sake headed up the second level of the club where they didn't run into the sweaty, drunk bodies down below.

And after several cups of sweet, sweet sake Haru was drunk. She was drunk and she was angry and sad and three billion other emotions she couldn't conceptualize. But she was mostly drunk. Her sake swished dangerous back and forth and nearly spilled all over the pretty shimmery gold dress her future self got her.

"Hey, take it easy," M cried, snatching Haru's precious sake from her hands. "That's an Alexander McQueen original! That costs more than your house!"

"I bet you—_hic_—spent all our money on clothes!" Haru cried. "Y—_hic_—you vile Montauk Project wet dream, that's why we need the 150 trillion, isn't?"

"Damn, you're angry when you're drunk," M said. "No more drinks for you until you're eighteen. Jeez."

"S—_hic_—shut the fuck up!" Haru glared at her. Or at least she thought she did. It was hard making faces when the room was kept moving. "I'm—_hic_—not drunk!"

M took a sip of her sake. "Mhm."

Suddenly a wave of emotion overtook Haru and she began bawling. "Why—_hic_—doesn't Tsuna love me? I—_hic_—did everything! Eeeevveeeerrrryyythiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnggggggg!"

M looked uncomfortable.

"You know that—_hic_—bastard put me and Kyoko in a kitchen and refused to tell us what—_hic_—the fuck was going on once? Hooooow daaareeeeee heeeeeee," she lurched forward and buried her face into her hands. Then she suddenly planted her hands on either side of the table and stood up. "I started reading some things, you know._ Hic._ Feminist things. Like—like—_hic_—like that woman. What's her name. She said I have rights. I—_hic_—don't have to take care of kids if I don't wanna. I can leave like my mom did, or stay if I want. I can like kids, too. If I want. Feminism's cool like—_hic_—that. I don't have to cook either. You know that? I bet Tsuna doesn't. Bastard. I'm gonna call him and tell him I have rights. _Hic._"

"Haru, no," M said, reaching for her arm and trying to pull her down. "Also sit down, you're going to my ruin dress. And hurt yourself."

"You're—_hic_—drunk!" Haru cried, slapping her hand away. Then she sat. "Hey. Hey. _Hic_. Hey M. Why are we—_hic_—here, anyway?"

"Well, I thought this would be some optimal bonding time, remember?" M set her sake down onto the table. "Plus you looked so miserable this entire week that it was kind of disgusting. But clearly taking you to a club was the wrong plan."

"_Hic._ Fuck off, bitch. I _love _clubs. _Hic._ I am having the time of my fucking life! WOO!" Then another way of emotion overtook Haru. "Hooooww could Kyokooo doooo this to me? I thought we were sissteeeeerssssss? That—_hic_—fucking biiiitchhhhh. I bought her cake, tooooo. Twoooo of theeeeemmmmmmmmm. And she stiiiiilll hasn't paaaiiid meeee baaack!"

When Haru reached for her phone and dialed Kyoko screaming, "What the fuck, Kyoko! _Hic. _Where is my two cakes, you coruscating bitch? How the fuck do you sparkle all the—_hic_—time, huuh? Huuuh? What the fuck do you mean it's 2:00am? I need my cakes and I need it right—_hic_—fucking—_hic_—now!" M decided it was time to hightail it out of the club. Stat.

**—**

**...**

**—**

_"Let me—hic—go, M! I want my fucking cakes!"_ Haru voice resounded out of Kyoko's cell.

Then there was the sound of shuffling and slapping until a woman pipped up, _"Haru let go of the phone! Let—I swear to God, if you don't let go of the phone I will fucking shoot you." _

Kyoko went rigid. Who was that woman? Was Haru alright? She didn't know what to do. Haru didn't sound like herself at all she sounded, well, drunk._ Or drugged_. Kyoko's heart began racing at the thought of that. Goodness.

_"EVERYONE BETRAYS ME!_" Haru suddenly screamed. _"EVERYONE—hic—BETRAYS ME, LIES TO ME, TREATS ME LIKE UTTER SHIT AND THEN PRETENDS LIKE I DON'T FUCKING MIND? THE FUCK? I HAVE—hic—FEELINGS TOO, JESUS CHRIST. I JUST WANT TO BE LOVED. AND MAYBE—hic—FINALLY GET A BOYFRIEND. MAYBE KISS A LITTLE, TOO. I BARELY—hic—EVEN SEE BOYS CONSIDERING I ATTEND SCHOOL WITH ONLY—hic—BOYS. I MEAN, GIRLS. YOU KNOW MY MOTHER—hic—LEFT ME, TOO? EVERYONE LEAVES ME. WHY AM I SO HIDEOUS TO PEOPLE? I JUST WANT TO BE LOOVEEEE—__hic_—EEEEDDDD!" 

_"For God's sake, let go of the phone, Haru!" _

_"HEY, PUT THE GUN DOWN. HEY, YOU CAN'T SHOOT ME. SHE'S GOT A GUN FOR GOD'S SAKE! SHE'S GOT—hic—A GUN OH MY GOD. I'M GONNA DIE. KYOKO—hic—KYOKO, LISTEN I NEED YOU TO GET ME MY CAK—!"_

Suddenly the line went dead. Kyoko sat there, phone still pressed to her ear. She didn't know what to do. Oh Goodness, her best friend was probably drugged and kidnapped and—_  
_

_"Kyoko-chan?"_ came Tsuna's groggy voice. His number was punched out almost out of instinct. _"What is it?" _

"Tsuna!" Kyoko cried. "I think Haru's in trouble!"

* * *

**...**

**The Heist**

_Drunk in Love_

**...**

* * *

"Ohhhhh Haru's head kills," Haru groaned, her eyes adjusting to the light. "Ohhh."

"Serves you right," M said, handing her a bottle of water and an aspirin. "You went off on me yesterday. Seriously, what the fuck was that, Haru?"

Haru glared at her before accepting it. "What are you even talking about?"

"At the club, you totally went insane on me. You even drunk called Kyoko about cakes or some shit. Are you out of your mind?"

"You took Haru to a club? Are you insane? How did you even manage to get Haru in there?"

"I got you a fake ID, obviously."

_"What!?" _Then she winced and pressed the glass of water to her forehead. After a moment of basking in the coolness of the water, she asked, "How the hell did you even convince Haru to go with you?"

"It didn't take much," M said, crossing her arms. "But I learned my lesson. Clubs and sake aren't for you until a good while. Anyway, move, I have to pee."

Haru stared at her. Then she took into account the window behind M. There were clouds tinted in oranges, pinks, and a slight blue passing by the window. A dark realization hit: she was on a plane.

For the first time sober, Haru swore. "What the fuck, M?"

"You wouldn't believe how easy it is to get a smashed girl on a plane," she said with a giggle. "I'm actually surprised at how easy it was. Our town truly doesn't give a shit. Anyway, move."

"How?"

"Uh, well, I kind of lied about why I brought you to a club," she said. "I'm you, remember? You can't hold you alcohol for shit at your age, and honestly this is way easier than asking you to come with me to Hong Kong."

For the second time sober, Haru swore. "What the actual fuck, M? Why?"

"We're meeting a friend. He's going to help us with our, ah, assignment," she said, standing and shoving Haru's legs out of the way as she made her way to the aisle. "Oh and we'll be landing in an hour and a half, so you better take that aspirin now."

**—**

**...**

**—**

It was early morning when Tsuna, with Kyoko, Yamamoto, and Gokudera in tow, arrived at Haru's house and were greeted by Haru's visibly shaken father. He explained that at around 11pm he found Haru's note explaining she'd be out with friend and would return at around 12am, but didn't specify who. At 2:30am, he grew worried and after calling every friend of hers he'd met and going to all the places she frequented at, he called the police.

"It's just—" his voice broke. Kyoko patted his arm sympathetically. "If Haru's left me too, I don't know what I'll do."

"She hasn't left you," Tsuna promised. "We'll find her. I swear."

**—**

**...**

**—**

For about half an hour a tensed silence fell between the two girls, although M didn't mind much opting to stare out the window at the fading sunrise with a cheeky smile on her face. Then suddenly Haru broke the silence.

"Does my dad know where I am?"

M looked at her. "No."

Haru's lips were a fine line. "I could scream to them and tell them you kidnapped me."

"OK," M said, returning her attention to the window. "Plane does an emergency land, police take me, figure out that I'm actually you. Then what?"

"I hate you so, so much."

"Hey," M said after a brief pause."What does being in love with Tsuna feel like?"

"It's like a warm buzz drapes over me whenever I look at him," Haru said, sighing dreamily. "I feel bouncy, and social, and looser when I'm around him. I feel like telling him everything and anything. It's the greatest feeling in the world—stop. Seriously, just leave me alone."

"Sounds like you're drunk," M noted. "Minus the anger and usage of a vocab you only use at school, though."

Haru glared at her and then turned away, effectively creating yet another silence. This time M broke it.

"You know what to know what not being in love with Tsuna anymore feels like? You want to know what hating him feels like? Picture that hangover you had earlier today. It's like that, but every time you look at him."

Haru looked at her. "M, what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"W...why are you like this? Why do you hate our friends?"

She smiled. "Can't hate what wasn't yours to begin with."

Haru didn't speak to her again, and she wouldn't until the plane landed. Instead, in that silence she resolved that she would do everything in her power to understand what drove her future self to become like this, and then prevent it from ever happening to her.

Her eyes flickered to M. She just looked _so_ sad.

_I'm going to save you,_ she thought, leaning back into her care and closing her eyes. _No. No, I'm going to save us both._

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Wow. Six reviews? Crazy! Thank you guys, seriously. I hope you enjoyed this, it was super fun for me to write.


	3. Skyscrapers in Hong Kong

Hong Kong was awe-inspiring. The buildings genuinely felt like they were touching the skies, and the sheer amount of people was insane. Despite coming from a country with cities that too boasted massive populations and structures, Haru was still left stunned by Hong Kong. It was _incredible. _But beauty aside, Haru was furious.

Tucked away in a pink, cutesy café with a cup of the best milk tea's she's ever had, Haru glared at M. She'd done nothing but glare the older woman for the entire duration of their time in Hong Kong. That and planned out what maneuvers to go back to Namimori and do some serious self-reflection. But honestly glaring at M was getting tiresome, and she kept getting road blocked in her escape plans. But still. She was angry. And she was an unrelenting in her attempt to make M feel as comfortable as possible.

"If you keep looking at me like that," M said, flickering her eyes to her, "Your face will get stuck like that."

Haru stuck her tongue out at her.

"My, my, my," a voice rang out. Twisting around Haru came face to face with a man in a white suit smiling down at her. "M-ā, you didn't tell me you were so cute in the past!"

Then he planted a sudden kiss on her cheek.

Then Haru planted a sudden kick to his groin.

"Wow," M remarked, as the man crumpled to the floor. "Who would have thought Dad forcing you to take self-defense classes because Gokudera freaked him out would actually pay off."

* * *

**...**

**The Heist**

_Skyscrapers in Hong Kong_

**...**

* * *

So he wasn't actually a random pervert, but actually the man they were supposed to meet. His name was Wen. He was ridiculously tall. His sleeked and controlled black hair contrasted greatly with his thick, fierce looking eyebrows. Yet somehow it worked. It made his face interesting. Haru loved interesting features (like Tsuna's wild brown hair for example). His suit, which fitted him well, was so white and Haru couldn't help but wonder what he used to get it like that.

At M's cough, Haru realized she hadn't said anything and was ogling the man. Oh god.

"S-sorry!" she yelped, cheeks flaming red. She bowed deeply. "It's nice to meet you! Also sorry for kicking you."

Her cheeks grew warmer at the man's explosively laughter. Between chortles he gasped out, "M–ā, I can't believe this used to be you!"

"Well, I'm a changed woman, Wen," she said with a wry smile. "You won't be seeing my former stupidity any time soon. Except maybe kicking you in the dick. I think I'll start doing that again."

"Haru's not stupid!" she cried.

"SHE SPEAKS IN THE _THIRD PERSON_?" Wen dropped to knees once again, though this time because he was gasping for air from laughing so hard instead of withering in pain. How Haru wished it were the latter. A waitress rushed over to assist him, but he waved her off as he curled into a ball shaking uncontrollably in laughter.

**—**

**...**

**—**

"Are you finished?" M asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. They were seated once again at their table for three, with a new set of milk teas ordered. Haru had nearly downed her cup and was eying M's untouched drink.

When Wen took in a deep breath then nodded, M continued speaking, "Alright. We're flying to Lahore in the morning, so you better be all packed."

"Ah, somehow I don't miss having you abruptly tell me we're flying to another country," Wen said with a sigh.

Haru tore her gaze from M's drink to her eyes. "Wait, what do you mean we're going to Lahore? As in Lahore, Pakistan?"

M took a sip of her drink. "The one and only."

"You still haven't told me shit, do you honestly expect me to just follow you around to randomly places so you can meet up with people like him?"

"Hey, I apologized for laughing," Wen insisted. "Besides, it was because how different little M–ā is compared to M–ā!"

"Don't call me that, my name is Haru!" she cried before facing M once again. "Explain. Explain right now. Explain why the hell we're here, explain who he is and why he knows and explain why the hell you're in debt and why I of all people have to help you!"

"OK, sit down first you're creating a commotion," M said flatly.

"What are you-" suddenly Haru could feel all the eyes on her. Some looked frightened, others worried, but most of them (especially the staff) looked angry. Meekly, she sat down.

"First thing's first, he," M pointed a finger at Wen, "Is from the future. He's from my original group. We're, um, specialists—"

"Thieves," Wen cut in. "We're thieves."

Haru gaped. _"What?"_

"We steal mostly paintings though," Wen assured. To make matters worse he stated further, "Picture Ocean's Eleven, but less white guys. Actually, no, picture no white guys."

"We're not like that," M glared at him. "We only steal from people who steal from others, particularly Mafia bosses. We just retrieve stolen art, jewelry, artifacts and what not for large sums of money. That's all."

"We're technically still a subset of the Vongola," Wen added.

"Then how did you get in so much debt?"

M sighed. "We were swindled. Some family pleaded to Tsuna about some lost and important heirlooms and he had us retrieve it for them. Turns out they were just a family of topnotch con artists. Disappeared with all the items we stole from that nasty family I told you about."

"The time travelling one? Why don't they just use their time travel technology to find that family!"

"We tried telling them that," Wen said. "They aren't having any of that. They demanded we give reimburse them the amount those heirlooms cost. But honestly? I feel like this was all just an elaborate job that they're behind."

"Well why doesn't Tsuna-kun help you guys? You're a part of the Vongola, right?"

"You haven't told her?" Wen asked. M flashed him a look. Haru didn't like that look.

"Anyway," M said after a brief pause, "The point is we're going—"

"No, tell Haru why you aren't asking Tsuna-kun for help," Haru interjected. "He would help Haru."

"People change."

"Not Tsuna. He helps his friends no matter what."

"We weren't his friends in the place, Haru."

"You're lying, he wouldn't have fought to protect Haru so hard back when they were in the future."

"That's because Kyoko was there. You were just lumped in with her in his grand plan of protecting his precious people. You aren't precious to him, Haru. No matter how much you try, he just doesn't care."

"You're just a liar!"

"I'm being rational. You're being an idealistic idiot as always. Grow up, will you?"

"Ladies, ladies, ladies," Wen chimed, "How about we go outside and get a breather, yeah? I'll take you guys to the hotel."

There was a tense silence as they just stared at each other before M got up and stalked off.

"C'mon," Wen said, helping Haru to her feet and leading her out of the café. By the time they reached the street, M was no longer in sight. The crowd swallowed her up.

"She knows the place," Wen said. If it was to assure her, Haru quite frankly didn't care. "So, what's your favorite thing about Hong Kong so far?"

"The milk tea!" Haru answered immediately. Then after a moment she added, "The skyscrapers, too. They're beautiful."

"Many find our skyscrapers seems nothing but a huge eyesore," Wen said, flashing Haru a knowing smile. "All it does is block out what everyone wants to see: the skies. What do you think, Haru–mèi?"

"That was a really lame metaphor," she said, ignoring his faux-hurt look.

But...but he had a point. So did M. Haru didn't fit in with Tsuna and the rest of them. They naturally went together with Tsuna, Kyoko especially with her acting as the sun to his grand skies. But Haru? Haru wasn't like them at all. The only way Haru fit in was if she built herself up to make grabs at an artificially created relationship.

Haru wasn't his rain, or storm, or even his cloud. She was a skyscraper. An eyesore. Constructed.

Suddenly M voice rang clearly in her mind: _"Can't lose what you didn't have in the first place."_

**—**

**...**

**—**

Kyoko felt awful, and her feeling intensified as they all sat together in Tsuna's living room to decide on what to do. Tsuna had sworn to bring Haru back to her father at her request all while dealing with some up and coming dangerous bad guys. She hated having him be torn between his obligations as the leader of the Vongolas and his obligation to her and Haru.

"We can't have our strongest be out looking for that idiot!" Gokudera protested. "She's probably sleeping over at a friend and forgot to call her dad."

"What about my phone call? She sounded like she was in real trouble," Kyoko argued.

"Tenth, c'mon this is crazy! I'll just hire some people to find her, it's no big deal!"

"I'll look for her," Yamamoto suddenly piped up.

"Are you stupid? No way, we're not leaving our—"

"Haru is our friend. I'm looking for her."

Tsuna nodded. "Yamamoto's right, besides I promised her dad I'd bring her back."

"She's just one stupid woman! God!"

"Me and Kyoko can find her," Yamamoto said, flashing her a smile. Kyoko beamed back at him. "You guys go. If you really need me, I'll be there in no time."

"It's decided then," Tsuna said. "The rest of the guardians will leave tonight."

**—**

**...**

**—**

Wen eyed the younger version of his longtime friend warily. As they made their way to the hotel, she looked angrier and angrier. Almost like a fuming Chihuahua. It would have been cute had he not have been viciously attacked by the animal in his youth. Man's best friend, his ass.

Mini M shocked him, to be honest. M was expedience, transcendence, ambition, and dominance all rolled into one. She was calm, collected, conniving at times, and nothing short of a sheer genius. Yet mini M was...well. Not. She was ditzy and unsure of herself, and worst of all seemed to hold some ridiculous notion that the Vongolas actually gave a shit about her.

M was their skyscraper. In the face of a world filled with men who could release monsters from small boxes, and release rain from swords, she kept them solid all while pushing them to new heights they didn't think they could reach. He hated seeing her in this state. But then again, even the greatest of works started off small. But still. This was the woman who led him to be someone who never thought he would ever be, the woman who'd saved his life in more ways than one.

"Who cares?" Haru suddenly exploded.

Wen blinked. "Pardon?"

"Who cares if I'm an eyesore? Who cares that I have to work harder to build meaningful relationships, or that the people I thought I fit in with don't actually mesh well with me at all? Who cares? Who the hell cares?"

"Is that so?" He smiled. "But you're weak, too. You can go down at the whim of nature."

"Like hell!" Haru cried. "I'll swallow the skies whole if I damn please!"

That was the M he knew.

"Always reach upwards, Haru–ā," Wen said, smiling widely. "And I will always follow."

He reached over to ruffle her hair before he felt a sharp pain in his groin. He crumbled to the ground, cupping his precious family jewels as he withered around in pain.

"Sorry!" Haru yelped. "I thought you were going to do something perverted!"

"It was just one kiss! On the cheek, too! I didn't even—_ow_—mean it! Jesus!"

"I'm still underage, you sicko!"

* * *

WHY DOES KEEP SAYING I UPLOADED THIS CHAPTER, I DIDN'T. I AM VERY CONFUSED AND I APOLOGIZE IF I GOT YOUR HOPES UP FOR NOTHING! (And thank you for all the lovely reviews; I really love hearing your thoughts! Thanks for taking the time to write me!)

Also I used some Chinese honorifics here. Lemme know if I got any wrong:

ā - A prefix that shows affection or intimacy

mèi - A suffix used for a younger female friend or relative.


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